Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended Boris Johnson for pursuing the failed Garden Bridge project – despite the Thomas Heatherwick-designed scheme’s £46m cost to the public purse.

Leading Brexiteer Rees-Mogg said Johnson had an exemplary record as mayor of London – a post he held from 2008 to 2016 – during which time the Conservative Party leadership favourite was a core backer of the bridge proposals, spearheaded by actress Joanna Lumley.

The project was scrapped by Johnson’s mayoral successor Sadiq Khan after a probe led by MP Margaret Hodge concluded that the scheme had been “driven by electoral cycles rather than value for money” and could cost more than £200m against an originally projected £60m.

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